COVID-19 restrictions: experiences of immigrant parents in Toronto

Sepali Guruge; Paula Lamaj; Charlotte Lee; Charlene Esteban Ronquillo; Souraya Sidani; Ernest Leung; Andrew Ssawe; Jason Altenberg; Hasina Amanzai; Lynn Morrison; Sepali Guruge; Paula Lamaj; Charlotte Lee; Charlene Esteban Ronquillo; Souraya Sidani; Ernest Leung; Andrew Ssawe; Jason Altenberg; Hasina Amanzai; Lynn Morrison

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2021013

AIMS Public Health

2021, Volume 8, Issue 1: 172-185. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2021013

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Research article

COVID-19 restrictions: experiences of immigrant parents in Toronto

1.
Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
2.
South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Toronto, Canada
3.
Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai'i, USA

Received: 18 November 2020 Accepted: 01 February 2021 Published: 05 February 2021

Parenting is a demanding undertaking, requiring continuous vigilance to ensure children's emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. It has become even more challenging in the context of COVID-19 restrictions that have led to drastic changes in family life. Based on the results of a qualitative interpretive descriptive study that aimed to understand the experiences of immigrants living in apartment buildings in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada, this paper reports the experiences of 50 immigrant parents. During the summer and fall of 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone or virtually, audio-recorded, then translated and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed that parenting experiences during the pandemic entailed dealing with changing relationships, coping with added burdens and pressures, living in persistent fear and anxiety, and rethinking lifestyles and habits. Amid these changes and challenges, some parents managed to create opportunities for their children to improve their diet, take a break from their rushed lives, get in touch with their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and spend more quality time with their family. While immigrant parents exhibit remarkable resilience in dealing with the pandemic-related meso and macro-levels restrictions, funding and programs are urgently needed to support them in addressing the impact of these at the micro level.
- Canada,
- coronavirus,
- COVID-19,
- immigrant,
- parenting,
- physical distancing
Citation: Sepali Guruge, Paula Lamaj, Charlotte Lee, Charlene Esteban Ronquillo, Souraya Sidani, Ernest Leung, Andrew Ssawe, Jason Altenberg, Hasina Amanzai, Lynn Morrison. COVID-19 restrictions: experiences of immigrant parents in Toronto[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2021, 8(1): 172-185. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2021013

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Abstract

Parenting is a demanding undertaking, requiring continuous vigilance to ensure children's emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. It has become even more challenging in the context of COVID-19 restrictions that have led to drastic changes in family life. Based on the results of a qualitative interpretive descriptive study that aimed to understand the experiences of immigrants living in apartment buildings in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada, this paper reports the experiences of 50 immigrant parents. During the summer and fall of 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone or virtually, audio-recorded, then translated and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed that parenting experiences during the pandemic entailed dealing with changing relationships, coping with added burdens and pressures, living in persistent fear and anxiety, and rethinking lifestyles and habits. Amid these changes and challenges, some parents managed to create opportunities for their children to improve their diet, take a break from their rushed lives, get in touch with their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and spend more quality time with their family. While immigrant parents exhibit remarkable resilience in dealing with the pandemic-related meso and macro-levels restrictions, funding and programs are urgently needed to support them in addressing the impact of these at the micro level.

Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the COVID-19 Rapid Response Research Fund provided by the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University. Further information about the study can be accessed at: www.ImmigrantHealthResearch.ca

Limitations

The data collection was conducted virtually, which may not have been convenient for all participants. Immigrant parents who did not have ready access to phone, computer, the internet or the time to participate because of the non-stop paid and unpaid work were prevented from participation. Their experiences may considerably differ from what is presented here. The study sample also consists of primarily mothers. A study sample that consists of primarily fathers may yield different results. Our sample was delimited to immigrant parents who live in apartment buildings in the Greater Toronto Area, who have relatively limited access to open and outdoor spaces. Immigrant families living in single-family homes with backyards, have more ready access to nearby outdoor parks, or have more options to reorganize their lives because of their higher socioeconomic status, may have different experiences.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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